St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-03-05
A wOMAN'S ENERGY.
| HOW POOR WIDOW PAYS HER HUS-
| BANDS DEBTS AND ESTABLISHES A
BUSINESS.

BUSINESS.
Times Democrat.
Mr.. Philo Goodwin, a superannuated
Methodist clergyman, needing sadly
help of some kind to exc out his small
income, invested-on credlt-ln a
German recipe for making yeast pow
ders. 1t was dozen or more years ago
that the secret was bought, with feeble
bread raising material upon the market
1t was two-penny, insignificant bust
ness at best, peddling the cans from
door to door, and the counter over
which they were sold down town occu-
plying a very small corner in a very
small shop. But, being last resource,
the old gentleman made a desperate
effort for success.
Mr.. Goodwin struggled on from year
to year with steadily increasing fami-
ly and rapidly declining excbequer
until, in 1882, he died $1,000 in debt,
with no assets whatever, and leaving as
la legacy six children to be cared for.
The story of woman's life is we'll
worth the reading when she has made
her world, whether it be large
or small, purer and better for So
journing in it, and the frail little widow
left to struggle on alone proved to be a
heroine in homespun gown, as
steadfast, intrepid and untiinching on a
hundred hard fought battlefelds as the
famous woman General of French
history. The poisoned arrows of dire
poverty, with heavy charges from debt
and despair, have all been bravely
faced and valiantly conquered. Now,
when Mrs. Goodwin tells of the slough
of despair through which her stout
heart has carried her trumphantly, it
is like listening to an old soldier re-
counting his victories over powerful
enemy. 1t carries conviction to the
mind OF every working woman who
hears it that she too has fortune to
make and mould as independently as
the man who works besides her.
"What did do 20 said the tired eyed
mother when asked how she first faced
her financial troubles "Why, | wrote
Immediately to the firms in the North
who supplied the ingredients for my
baking powders aId begged for time to
meet my obligations. scarcely knew
whether they would have been SO pa
tent had not my very good friends,
Smith Bros, Endorsed for me-" she
added.
Il went right to work and, with the
help Of little colored girl, began max
ing the powders in exact accordance
with the old recipe. | visited three of
the best chemists in town, and found
on inquiry that the cream tartar used
was the purest. This satisfied my
mind, for reading so much of adultera-
tons, | was worried for fear |, too,
might make mistake. OF course the
business had to be worked up bit, for
my poor husband had been too feeble
for anything but filling the same orders
that came of themselves.
:" | went to all the grocery stores and
asked for custom. Some gave it; 9th
ers told me they were already supplied.
| must lack some very necessary quail
ty," she went on, "forI never could
push or argue. Then there were the
boarding-hOnses. [ visited them and
got lot of patronage there for my
powders. Certificates from the best
authorities proved they were free of all
injurious ingredients, and felt safe in
recommending them.
All but it was a sore and tight pull
to get through those days." said Mrs.
Goodwin. "You see, | did all the
work with just the help Of my chill
dren-cooking. ironing, house cleaning,
and everything else. Then when they
were in bed | made the baking pow
ders. All the spare moments during
the daytime to be stolen from house
hold duties had to be used in delivering
packages, collecting, and soliciting
new orders. So, often 12 o'clock at
night found me busy turning the big
mixer, holding hundreds of pounds, in
which the compound must be thorough
ly stirred" The various materials
used in making this variety of grain
elevator are first put into the miyer-an
invention of Mr.. Goodwin's. The per-
feet assimilation of the Ingredients
causes the heaviest part of the work,
for the machine must revolve many
times, being turned by hand. The
powder is put up in half-pound cans,
labeled and is then ready for market.
Simple as it sounds, this necessitates
considerable labor, and after the cans
were ready for market Mrs. Goodwin
packed them in the barrels for whole
sale houses, heading the casks herself.
When asked why she did not employ
hired help in the work she always re-
minded her advisor Of the unpaid debt,
and replied she would work unaided
until every cent of the obligation was
removed.
1t was life of rigid self-denial, with
the suppression of every sort of idle
qualification. While she ate the plain
est, cheapest food, and cooked it her
self, money was always found to give
her children the advantages of educa-
ton, dressing them neatly and having
them attend church regularly. Poverty
did not mean neglect or sqnalor, bat
scrupulous mlnding of small gains.
thrift in the household departments and
good business Judgment.
All things come to the brave who
work, watch and wait, who, though
overthrow temporarily by difficulties,
surmount them courageousiy in the end.
Now, when her heaviest troubles are at
an end, it is with the satisfaction of a
victor Mrs. Goodwin tells of debt
hardly won, and the story of such
3s Euoc Ia x,-x,,.tL l,laoral az.